Dropbox and My Paperless Office Solutions

Even though I just moved into new physical office space, my business has never been more paperless.

It's true that I'm out of the home office and sub-leasing a space of my own downtown.

But I've recently discovered some tools that are helping to lessen my need for filing cabinets, storage boxes, etc.

If you run a business of your own, or if you're simply looking for some tools to help you organize some of your financial documents, check out my suggestions (and add you own in the comments):

Dropbox – This online storage service has really been making a name for itself over the past couple of years. It currently has the 3rd most “watchers” on SecondMarket.com. They get $9.99 a month from me for their Pro 50 (50 GB of space) service.

I don't keep any business or personal files on my computers anymore. I keep them in my Dropbox. So it doesn't matter if I'm on my work PC, my MacBook at home, or my iPhone on the go, I can access any of my files, anytime.

I'm even starting to transfer a lot of my physical files (like the various forms generated when starting a new business, our old tax returns, car titles, marriage license, mortgage documents, and more) to Dropbox.

Dropbox has a free service (which I used for some time) if you're interested in trying them out: Try Dropbox 100% Free!

CamScanner App – Another tool I use to help create my virtual office is the free mobile app, CamScanner (available in Android, iPhone, iPad, and Windows Phone 8).

I have a single-sheet flatbed scanner (as part of my 3-in-1 printer), but it lacks two key features: the ability to join multiple scans into one PDF, and the ability to quickly email the document or send it to the archives in Dropbox.

The CamScanner app solves these problems for me. Using my camera phone, I scan documents, clean them up, join then with other scans, and then send them off to wherever I need (email, Dropbox, Evernote, or Google Docs).

I use CudaSign (formerly SignNow) to get documents signed digitally. I've used it to request a Form W-9 from contractors that work with me. I've also signed freelance writing documents using CudaSign.

I plan to start using this service for my own freelancer agreements as well.

Quickbooks Online – My accountant had me create an account with Quickbooks Online and each month my banking information is dumped into this service. My accountant categorizes most of my expenses each month (I log on to clear the “un-categorized” items).

When it comes time to file my taxes, my accountant has everything he needs to complete my returns quickly. The service is also useful for so many other things, which I've yet to explore. I plan to start using the invoicing features this year.

Last Edited: July 24, 2017 @ 1:51 pmThe content of ptmoney.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to ptmoney.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

About Philip Taylor

Philip Taylor, aka "PT", is a CPA, financial writer, podcaster, FinCon Founder, husband, and father of three. He created PT Money back in 2007 to share his thoughts on money and to meet others passionate about managing their finances. All the content on this blog is original, and created or edited by PT. Read more about Philip Taylor, and be sure to connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Listen to the new podcast, Masters of Money!

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Comments

Traditional file share resources do not work well with QuickBooks. As an alternative, please visit the website for Qbox and read about an application that was designed to work specifically with QuickBooks. (in addition to a handful of other file types) With Q Box, accountants and their client’s continue to use the same desktop version of QuickBooks. However, using Q Box, they have a locally hosted copy of the file that is continually synchronized with their remote client’s copy. In other words, no more sending QBW files back and forth, no more screen sharing, no expensive cloud hosting and no more downloading/uploading of QuickBook files. With Qbox, there is also a locking technology that avoids the creation of conflicting copies. Additionally, if you ever do end up with corrupted file (unrelated to Qbox) Qbox keeps ten different versions (updates) of the file so you can easily restore a previous copy with just a few clicks.

dropbox is overpriced compared to other services but there is no doubt it is very seamless and easy to use. they did indeed have an issue where the password you entered didn’t matter for a period of time. they also do not encrypt on your end so if a government/legal entity etc asked for access to your info they would hand it right over. i use dropbox to easily transfer items between pc’s, phones, etc but i use spideroak for anything else and as an offisite backup.

A great post. I shall be checking out dropbox and echosign on your say-so. However, I’m leery of giving google access to my documents. They already read my mail and all my web browsing… I’m currently very smitten with evernote, which I’m not paying for …. yet.

hmm, so you don’t mind the world checking out your business and personal documents I guess. End Sarcasm. Dropbox is bad choice for business documents, I think you are not aware of Dropbox snafu recently when everything was made public accidently. Yes, its free and you get what you pay for. If you really want, use encrypted backup service and access it anywhere you want. Thats safer, Dropbox is not.

I use Microsoft Office, the free version of Dropbox, and Quickbooks Pro. I store all of my documents on multiple hard drives and am considering setting up a home server so I can have network storage and a common access point for media files. I can see the appeal of keeping everything on the “cloud,” but I still like to have my files stored locally at home. I really do need to take a look at Google Docs though.

Other than easy access for your accountant, are there any differences between Quickbooks Online and Pro?

About PT

Hi, I'm Philip Taylor. I'm a husband, father, blogger, CPA, and entrepreneur. I love learning to do more with my money and sharing it all here with you. Join in on the conversation and start improving your financial life today. Read more...

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The content of ptmoney.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to ptmoney.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice.